Healthy Heart Tip: Traffic Light Food Labels

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Reading food labels can be confusing, and it can be hard to know where to look. With the back-of-pack labels often feeling like navigating through a maze, most food/drink manufacturers and supermarkets in the UK now voluntarily display front-of-pack information in a colour coded ‘traffic light system’. Energy, fat, saturated fat, total sugars, and salt content are commonly displayed in green, amber and red on the front of many food and drink packets to help the UK consumers to make informed choices.

Did you know that women read food labels more often than men? By being aware of the nutrient content of foods, reading food labels correctly and making some healthy swaps, you can keep your heart healthy and live a little longer too.

Here are some tips to help you make the healthiest food choices possible:

Energy value

The energy value of food/drinks is measured and displayed on packets as both calories (Kcal) and kilojoules (kJ).
On average, men need to consume around 2500kcals per day and women need approximately 2000kcals. This should be taken into account when choosing your food and drink options. Lower calorie options are often healthier, but make sure you check the sugar and salt content.

If you regularly consume more calories than you burn off, then it is likely you will gain weight. Increased weight is associated with a higher risk of developing heart diseases.

Go green

You should aim to choose foods that have as many areas highlighted in green as possible.

Traffic light labelling can help you to make healthy informed decisions about what brand or type of food you buy. For example, if you are selecting a pre-packed sandwich or a jar of sauce, look at which one has more green sections on the front.

Amber, proceed with caution!

If you notice that food has amber front-of-pack information, then proceed with caution. This food can still be healthy and it is advised to opt for foods with mainly green and amber labels, but just be aware not to consume too much of it.

Make sure that you are aware of your intake. If you are buying more than one item of food for a meal and they all have amber warnings for salt (for example) then swap one for a healthier lower-salt alternative. Remember high levels of salt, sugars, and saturated fats can all impact your heart health.

Red, STOP!

Are you regularly choosing foods that have lots of red on the labels?

Be careful! Consuming foods that are high in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt have a negative impact on your heart and it is generally advised to avoid those with red labels. Eating these on occasion as a treat and part of a balanced healthy diet is fine, but when they are consumed regularly, they can increase your blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. This puts an increased strain on your heart and heightens your risk of cardiovascular diseases.


Heart Research UK
Proud to stand out from the crowd, Heart Research UK is the charity dedicated to your heart. They inspire and invest in pioneering medical research, ground-breaking training and education, and in communities to improve their heart health for themselves. For over 50 years they have driven advancements in the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease to benefit patients as soon as possible.